hid

Low-level bindings for USB/Bluetooth hidapi

Usage

var hid = require('hid')
 
// List all HID devices
console.log(hid.enumerate(0, 0))

API

const devices = hid.enumerate([vendor_id], [product_id])

Enumerate the HID Devices.

This function returns an array of all the HID devices attached to the system which match vendor_id and product_id. If vendor_id is set to 0, null or left out then any vendor matches. If product_id is set to 0, null or left out then any product matches. If vendor_id and product_id are both set to 0, null then all HID devices will be returned:

[{
  path: String,
  vendor_id: Number,
  product_id: Number,
  serial_number: String,
  release_number: Number,
  manufacturer_string: String,
  product_string: String,
  usage_page: Number,
  usage: Number,
  interface_number: Number
}]

const device = hid.open(vendor_id, product_id, [serial_number])

Open a HID device using a Vendor ID (VID), Product ID (PID) and optionally a serial number.

If serial_number is null or left out, the first device with the specified VID and PID is opened.

This function returns an opaque external reference to a device, or throws an error on failure. The device is automatically closed on garbage collection.

const device = hid.open_path(path)

Open a HID device by its path name.

The path name be determined by calling hid.enumerate(), or a platform-specific path name can be used (eg: /dev/hidraw0 on Linux).

This function returns an opaque external reference to a device, or throws an error on failure. The device is automatically closed on garbage collection.

const bytes = hid.write(device, data)

Write an Output report to a HID device.

The first byte of data must contain the Report ID. For devices which only support a single report, this must be set to 0x0. The remaining bytes contain the report data. Since the Report ID is mandatory, calls to hid.write() will always contain one more byte than the report contains. For example, if a hid report is 16 bytes long, 17 bytes must be passed to hid.write(), the Report ID (or 0x0, for devices with a single report), followed by the report data (16 bytes). In this example, the length passed in would be 17.

hid.write() will send the data on the first OUT endpoint, if one exists. If it does not, it will send the data through the Control Endpoint (Endpoint 0).

device must be an opaque external reference to a device. data must be a Buffer that data is read from.

This function returns the actual number of bytes written, or throws an error.

const bytes = hid.read_timeout(device, data, milliseconds)

Read an Input report from a HID device with timeout.

Input reports are returned to the host through the INTERRUPT IN endpoint. The first byte will contain the Report number if the device uses numbered reports.

device must be an opaque external reference to a device. data must be a Buffer that data is read into. milliseconds timeout in milliseconds or -1 for blocking wait.

This function returns the actual number of bytes read or throws an error. If no packet was available to be read within the timeout period, this function returns 0.

const bytes = hid.read(device, data)

Read an Input report from a HID device.

Input reports are returned to the host through the INTERRUPT IN endpoint. The first byte will contain the Report number if the device uses numbered reports.

device must be an opaque external reference to a device. data must be a Buffer that data is read into.

This function returns the actual number of bytes read or throws an error. If no packet was available to be read and the handle is in non-blocking mode, this function returns 0.

hid.read_timeout_async(device, data, milliseconds, cb(err, bytes))

Read an Input report from a HID device with timeout asynchronously.

Input reports are returned to the host through the INTERRUPT IN endpoint. The first byte will contain the Report number if the device uses numbered reports.

device must be an opaque external reference to a device. data must be a Buffer that data is read into. milliseconds timeout in milliseconds or -1 for blocking wait. cb must be a function taking err and bytes as arguments.

This function calls cb with the actual number of bytes read or calls it with an error. If no packet was available to be read within the timeout period, this function calls cb(null, 0).

hid.read_async(device, data, cb(err, bytes))

Read an Input report from a HID device asynchronously.

Input reports are returned to the host through the INTERRUPT IN endpoint. The first byte will contain the Report number if the device uses numbered reports.

device must be an opaque external reference to a device. data must be a Buffer that data is read into. cb must be a function taking err and bytes as arguments.

This function calls cb with the actual number of bytes read or calls it with an error. If no packet was available to be read and the handle is in non-blocking mode, this function calls cb(null, 0).

hid.set_nonblocking(device, nonblock)

Set the device handle to be non-blocking.

In non-blocking mode calls to hid.read() will return immediately with a value of 0 if there is no data to be read. In blocking mode, hid.read() will wait (block) until there is data to read before returning.

Nonblocking can be turned on and off at any time.

device must be an opaque external reference to a device. nonblock enable or not the nonblocking reads - 1 to enable nonblocking - 0 to disable nonblocking.

This function returns 0 on success or throws an error.

const bytes = hid.send_feature_report(device, data)

Send a Feature report to the device.

Feature reports are sent over the Control endpoint as a Set_Report transfer. The first byte of data must contain the Report ID. For devices which only support a single report, this must be set to 0x0. The remaining bytes contain the report data. Since the Report ID is mandatory, calls to hid.send_feature_report() will always contain one more byte than the report contains. For example, if a hid report is 16 bytes long, 17 bytes must be passed to hid.send_feature_report(): the Report ID (or 0x0, for devices which do not use numbered reports), followed by the report data (16 bytes). In this example, the length passed in would be 17.

device must be an opaque external reference to a device. data must be a Buffer that data is read from.

This function returns the actual number of bytes written or throws an error.

const bytes = hid.get_feature_report(device, data)

Get a feature report from a HID device.

Set the first byte of data to the Report ID of the report to be read. Make sure to allow space for this extra byte in data. Upon return, the first byte will still contain the Report ID, and the report data will start in data[1].

device must be an opaque external reference to a device. data must be a Buffer that data is read into.

This function returns the number of bytes read plus one for the report ID (which is still in the first byte), or throws an error.

hid.get_feature_report_async(device, data, cb(err, bytes))

Get a feature report from a HID device asynchronously.

Set the first byte of data to the Report ID of the report to be read. Make sure to allow space for this extra byte in data. Upon return, the first byte will still contain the Report ID, and the report data will start in data[1].

device must be an opaque external reference to a device. data must be a Buffer that data is read into. cb must be a function taking err and bytes as arguments.

This function calls cb the number of bytes read plus one for the report ID (which is still in the first byte), or calls it with an error.

Install

npm install hid

Contributing

To get setup you need to clone the repo including git submodules. npm install will run compilation scripts, but require the submodules to be initialised.

git clone --recurse-submodules git://github.com/hyperdivision/hid.git
cd hid
npm run fetch-hidapi # Optional if you forgot --recurse-submodules 
npm install
 
# Make changes ... 
npm run dev # recompile changes 
npm test # Run standard and run tests 

License

ISC